Pitcher&#39;s target



June 13,1939. H. P, LETART; 162,438

' P ITCHERS TARGET Fil ed Dec. 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 13, 1939.H P, LETARTE 2,162,438.-

PITCHER S TARGET Filed Dec. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 rr va 5 ilarprojectile.

Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention appertains to targets, and more especially to pitcherstargets which may be advantageously employed in the practice andperfection of pitching and fielding a baseball or sim- Since proficiencyof control of speed and accuracy of delivery are the prime requisites ofbaseball pitching, practice by throwing the ball at a target has beenfound to serve a very useful purpose. In addition to the utility of theinvention as a practice or exercise device, it may be employed for otherpurposes, such as a game of skill to be played by one or moreparticipants, an automatic umpire for baseball games, a foul screen,etc.

In carrying out the purposes of the invention, it has been my aim toprovide a simple, economical, and rugged device which is preferably ofportable construction, and which embodies aplurality of panel members orsections having impact surfaces which serve to impart rebound in variousdirections to a pitched ball. In the preferred embodiment of theinvention, the target comprises impact surfaces arranged at differentangles with respect to each other, certain of the impact surfaces beingadjustable to afford a variation in the direction of rebound of the ballaccording to the particular use to which the target is put, and also toadapt the target to various conditions of play and purposes.

By virtue of the predetermined angular positions of the respectiveimpact surfaces, thetarget automatically acts as an umpire by impartingdifferent rebounds to the ball in accordance with the accuracy orinaccuracy of delivery and speed of the ball.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter referred to and the novel features thereof defined in theappended claims.

40 In the drawings:

target;

Figure 2 is a view of the target in front elevation;

Figure 3 is a view of the target in rear elevation; I

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line4-4 of Figure 3;

Figures 5 and 6 are horizontal sectional views taken approximately onthe lines 5-5 and 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 'l| of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail sectional view illustrating the hingedinterconnection between Figure 1 is a prespective view of my improvedone of the wing panels and the central or main panel of the target;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic 'view illustrating the use of the inventionas a foul screen in batting practice; and

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the use of the target asan automatic umpire in a game of baseball.

. Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings, wherein I generally designates a frame orsupport which includes base members 2 and a head member 3 disposed abovethe same and suitably supported upon the base members by standards andbraces generally designated 4. This frame or support may be constructedof wood, metal, or partly wood-and partly metal, or other suitablematerials, and it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limitedto the specific construction which has been shown in the drawings forillustrative purposes only. The head member 3 is preferably disposedsomewhat to the rear of the forward extremity of the base 2, forpurposes which will hereinafter become more fully apparent.

Mounted at the front of the frame or support I is the target surfacewhich is preferably composed of a plurality of panels preferably unitedwith each other in the form of a unit and hingedly connected to thebottom of the frame I at its forward end by means of the hinges 5. Thetarget proper includes a central panel 6 to which the hinges 5 arefastened, and a pair of wing panels 1 and 8 hingedly connected to thecentral panel 6 by means of hinges 9, and disposed at the respectivesides of the central panel. The central panel 6 is provided at its upperend with a rearwardly inclined portion Ba, and at its lower extremitywith a forwardly inclined portion 61), these portions being rigidlysecured to the panel 6 in any suitable manner. In the case of therearwardly inclined section 6a, brackets I!) may be employed to securethe same to the section 6. In the preferred embodiment of my invention,the height of the rearwardly inclined panel section 6a correspondsapproximately to the distance from the top of an average players headdown to his shoulders, and the height of the forwardly inclined sections6b corresponds approximately to the distance from the ground to the, 50knees, thus making the target about as tall as the player. Of course,these dimensions may be varied as desired, and I do not intend to limitthe target to any particular size.

By virtue of the construction just described, 55

2 through provision of the hinges 5, the panels may be swung as a unittoward and away from a vertical position, whereby to permit variation inthe height of rebound of a ball thrown against the panels. Thisadjustment is facilitated by employing a bar H which is pivotallyconnected at I2 to the rear, side of the central panel 6 so as to extendrearwardly therefrom across the upper side of the head member 3 whichcarries a bracket E3. The bar II extends loosely through the bracket l3,as best shown in Figure 7, and is provided with a plurality of spacedapertures I4 for the reception of a pin or bolt l5 which may be insertedthrough an aperture IS in the bracket, and through a selected one of theapertures M in the bar. The rearward extremity of. the bar H preferablyterminates in a handle II, which may be employed to manipulate the bar Hin the bracket it in the adjustment of the angular position of thetarget as a whole.

Disposed at the rearward side of the panels and fixedly connected to thecentral panel 6 is a bracket 18, having angular extensions I8, l8,

projecting rearwardly from the panel 6, as best seen in Figure 5. Thefree extremities of the extensions l8, 18, are slotted'and slidablyreceive the arcuate extremities 19' of the respective brackets ill whichare secured to the rear side ofthe respective wing panels I and 8. Thearcuateportions l9, l9 of the brackets is, l9 are each provided with aplurality of spaced apertures 26 for selectively receiving pins or bolts2|, 2!, insert'able through a corresponding opening formed in therespective bracket extensions l8, H3 at the slots, this constructionbeing generally similar to the adjusting instrumentalities for thepanelled target as a whole. Obviously, the wing panels I and 8 may eachbe swung independently of the other toward and away from a positioncoextensive with the central panel 6, and the pin and bracketinstrumentalities above described serve to retain the wing panels intheir various positions of adjustment.

Asshown in the drwings, the contiguous edges of the panel sections arepreferably beveled, as best shown in Figures 5 and '8, for the purposeof receiving the central portion of the hinges 9 which are generallyV-shaped at the center, thus disposing the pivotal axis substantially inor near the plane of the impact surface of the central panei 6.

The panels forming the target proper may be constructed of wood, metal,or other suitable material, which will impart a-substantial rebound tothe ball. In the case of a regular baseball, the impact surfaces of thepanels are preferably covered by a resilient covering 22, such as sheetrubber, which is of sufficient thickness to impart rebound to thebaseball at a comparatively fast speed when thrown against the target.Where.

the rubber covering is applied to the face of the panels, the hinges 9hingedly interconnecting the wing panels I and 8 with the central panel6 may be omitted if desired, and the rubber sheet utilized as the hinge.

The target may also be used in connection with a rubber ball, in whichcase the panels would be made of relatively rigid and hard material, andthe rubber covering 22 omitted.

In the use of the target as a practice or exercise device, the target ispositioned at a suitable distance from the pitcher and adjusted to thepreferred inclination respecting the vertical by manipulation of thehandle I! and lock pin 15 in the manner hereinbe fore described. Also,the

. umpire the game in an obvious manner.

angular adjustments of the wing panels I and 8 may be effected to theirpreferred positions. Thereupon, when the ball is thrown against thetarget, it will rebound in accordance with the portion of the targetwhich is struck. For example, if the ball strikes the central panel 6,it will rebound toward the pitcher at a relatively low elevation,whereas if the ball strikes either of the wing panels 1 or 8, the ballwill rebound to the right or left of the pitcher as the case may be,assuming the wing panels are angularly disposed relative to the centralpanel 6. On the other hand, if the ball should strike the upperrearwardly inclined panel section 6a,

the ball will rebound high in the air in front of the target, much onthe order of a pop-fly. The impact of the ball against the lowerforwardly inclined panel section 6b causes the ball to rebound towardthe pitcher at a relatively high elevation. Thus it will be seen thatthe accuracy of the pitch is determined automatically by the nature ofthe rebound of the ball. Rebound from the central panel fiwould thus bethe only rebound comparable to a strike ball. By tilting the targetpanels as a whole rearwardly on the hinges 5, the elevation of therebound may be increased. This adjustment in a measure should dependupon the speed of delivery of the pitched balls and the distance betweenthe pitcher and the target, the latter being preferably equal to thedistance between the pitcher and home plate on a regular baseballdiamond.

In Figure 9, there has been diagrammatically illustrated another type ofuse of the target device, wherein the same is so positioned and adjustedas to constitute a foul screen during batting practice. As shown, thetarget is positioned somewhat in the rear of the batter standing at B,thus being in a position corresponding to the normal position of acatcher in front of the pitcher standing at P. One of the wing panels (8in case of a right-handed batter) is adjusted susbtantiallyperpendicular to the central panel 6, thus preventing any ballsrebounding from the target following a ffoul-back or a ball pitch, fromstriking the batter.

In Figure 10, there has been shown still another typical use of thetarget device where others in additionto the pitcher may participtatewith the pitcher in playing a game. In this case, the panels 6, I, 8,are adjusted in the manner described for the device when used as apractice or exercise device, the same being positioned behind home plate23 of the baseball diamond generally designated by the outline 24. Inother "words, the target is substituted for the usual catcher, and thepitcher at P throws the ball against the target so as to cause the sameto rebound onto the diamond, according to which portion of the target isstruck by the ball. The game may be played without a batter, in whichcase the players may set their own rules. For instance, if the pitcherat P throws four balls before throwing three strikes, the first basemantakes the place of the pitcher and the pitcher goes to the last positionin the order of succession of the players who move up one position eachtime the pitcher is changed.

If desired, the game may be played in accordance with the usual rules ofbaseball, with batters who would stand at B in the case of a righthandbatter. Under such circumstances, the target composed of the panels 6,1,8 would automatically Still other'and different kinds of games can beplayed in the use of the invention.

While the specific details have been herein shown and described, theinvention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be madewithout departing from the spirit thereof as defined by the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. A target device of the class described, comprising a support, a panelcarried by said support and disposed in a generally vertical position,the upper portion of said panel being rearwardly inclined, and the lowerportion of said panel being forwardly inclined, with a generallyvertical por-' tion disposed intermediate said inclined portions.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the height of the upperrearwardly inclined portion of the panel generally corresponds to thedistance from the top of a players head to the shoulders, and the heightof the lower forwardly inclined panel generally corresponds to thedistance from the ground to the players knees.

3. A target device of the class described, comprising a support, a panelcarried by said support and disposed in a generally vertical position,the upper portion of said panel being rearwardly inclined, and the lowerportion of said panel being forwardly inclined, with a generallyvertical portion disposed intermediate said inclined portions, wingpanels disposed one at each side of the aforementioned panels andhingedly interconnected ierewith for adjustment to different angularpositions, and means for locking said wing panels in selected positionsof adjustment.

4. A target device of the class described, comprising a support, a panelcarried by said support and disposed in a generally vertical position,the

upper portion of said panel being rearwardly inclined, and the lowerportion of said panel being forwardly inclined, with a generallyvertical position disposed intermediate said inclined portions, wingpanels disposed one at each side of the aforementioned panels andhingedly interconnected therewith for adjustment to different angularpositions, and means for locking said wing panelsin selected positionsof adjustment, said lastnamed means comprising independently adjustablelocking means, one for each wing panel.

5. A target device of the class described, comprising a support, a panelcarried by said support and disposed in a generally vertical position,the upper portion of said panel being rearwardly inclined, and the lowerportion of said panel being forwardly inclined, with a generallyvertical portion disposed intermediate said inclined portions, wingpanels disposed one at each side of the aforementioned panels andhingedly interconnected therewith for adjustment to different angularpositions, and means for locking said wing panels in selected positionsof adjustment, said lastnamed means comprising a bracket disposed at therear side of the central panel, and a bracket disposed at the rear sideof each of the wing panels and cooperating with the first-mentionedbracket to selectively secure the wing panels in different positions ofadjustment.

6. A target device of the class described, comprising a support, a panelcarried by said support and disposed in a generally vertical position,the upper portion of said panel being rearwardly inclined and the lowerportion of said panel being forwardly inclined with a generally verticalportion disposed intermediate said inclined portions, wing panelsdisposed one at each side of the aforementioned panels and hingedlyinterconnected therewith for adjustment to difierent angular positions,and a resilient surface material of sheet form applied to the impactsurfaces of the respective panels.

7. A target device of the class described, comprising a support, a panelcarried by said support and disposed in a generally vertical position,the uper portion of said panel being rearwardly inclined and the lowerportion of said panel being forwardly inclined with a generally verticalportion disposed intermediate said inclined portions, wing panelsdisposed one at each side of the aforementioned panels and hingedlyinterconnected therewith for adjustment to different angular positions,and a resilient surface material applied to the impact surfaces of therespective panels, said resilient surface material constituting themeans for hingedly interconnecting the wing panels with the centralpanel.

HENRY P. LETARTE.

